The 'Nymphadora List'
by goldenwanderer
Summary: Tonks's first official mission is to interrogate a certain werewolf about his connection to Sirius Black. Remus is interested in knowing where he met this girl before. Tonks has an interesting answer. RemusTonks
1. Part One

**Title:** The 'Nymphadora List' (1/2)  
**Author:** goldenwanderer  
**Rating:** PG  
**Warnings:** Some very mild language  
**Word Count:** 5200+  
**Pairing(s):** Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks  
**Characters:** Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, OC  
**Summary:** Tonks's first official mission is to interrogate a certain werewolf, Remus Lupin, about his connection to Sirius Black. Remus is interested in knowing where he met this girl before, and Tonks has an interesting explanation for how she remembers him. Will they ever get around to the real interview? Will Tonks make it back to the office on time? And how does she feel about 'social outings' with werewolves like Remus Lupin?

**A/N:** Part of the idea behind this story comes from jncar's "The Rookie", on Livejournal. You can also find this and all my other things on my Livejournal, username goldenwanderer.

_This is the first in the "Starlight, Star Bright" series. The story is set in the summer following Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

**The 'Nymphadora List' - Part One**

"Who is it?"

Nymphadora Tonks was standing on the front steps of a house that she had never visited before. She was here on orders from Rufus Scrimgeour, the head of the Auror department at the Ministry of Magic. When she had first arrived, she wasn't entirely sure that she had landed in the right place.

A few minutes before, she had apparated to the designated spot in the forest. Unfortunately, that spot had really been quite a distance from the house, and even though she had directions on how to get to her destination, it took several hours to find the clearing where the house was. It wouldn't have been an easy journey for anyone, since there were so many trees, sticks, bushes, and rocks. However, for Tonks, it was a near impossible journey. Several catastrophic falls later, she had emerged – or stumbled, actually – into the clearing, complete with bumps, bruises, scrapes, and torn Auror robes.

After getting to her feet, she had taken a quick look around the clearing, just to be safe. It was always a good idea to look before you leapt into something. Then, she chuckled as she realized what she was doing. She was now using constant vigilance, the single most talked-about theory of defense by Mad-Eye Moody. Tonks laughed out loud, knowing that Mad-Eye would be thrilled to see her using constant vigilance naturally, without his direction.

The clearing was almost completely empty, with the exception of the house in the middle of it. The house seemed to match the forest surrounding it – it was small, completely made of wood, and seemed to be falling apart at the seams. Tonks guessed that this was a very old house, and that whoever lived here probably could not afford to fix it up. Not that it mattered at all, it was just interesting to see how closely the house blended in with the forest.

After contemplating the house for a moment, Tonks had decided that she had better get on with her job. She had wasted enough time finding her way through the forest. She was getting anxious to get this job over with, anyway. She wondered for a moment what Mad-Eye would say if he saw her like this. _Only that this is typical Tonks_, she thought as she stepped up to the front door and knocked. _Nothing new at all._

"My name is Nymphadora Tonks, Auror. I have been sent by the head of the Aurors, Rufus Scrimgeour, to interrogate Mr. Remus J. Lupin, concerning the escape of the convict Sirius Black," she said loudly through the closed door, trying to sound professional. But, it sounded too... fake. She wasn't feeling very professional at all, really. But this was her first official mission as a fully-qualified Auror, and she was going to do this properly.

Her mission, in fact, was just a simple one: talk to Mr. Remus J. Lupin, werewolf, and find out about his connections with Sirius Black. The Ministry wanted to know if he had contacted Sirius during the past year, whether he had helped him into Hogwarts, and what had happened the night that Sirius escaped – as much as Lupin could tell, anyway, since he had transformed before the escape had actually occurred. Since he was not a convict, or a particularly dangerous person – full moon was two and one half weeks away – Scrimgeour had sent his youngest and newest Auror to do the job.

"Oh, all right," said the voice from inside. "I'll fetch him, right away." She heard the shifting of chairs inside, and then heard the voice yell, "Remus! Remus, there's someone here to speak to you!"

Then, the door opened, and a man stood on the other side. His hair was nearly completely gray, though there were still a few dark hairs left, indicating that once, his hair had been completely dark. His face was clearly lined, and he looked rather tired. "Sorry about the door," he said to Tonks, extending his hand for her to shake. "The name's Richard, by the way, Richard Lupin. I'm Remus's father," he added when she looked a bit surprised. "Remus should be up in a moment. Would you like to come in?"

"I'd love to," said Tonks, relinquishing the formality that she had been using. For some reason, this man didn't strike her as a person who required any sort of formality. Maybe it was just because the room she walked into was, to put it lightly, untidy.

"Kitchen's a mess," said Richard as they stepped inside. He pulled out a chair for her to sit in. He shut the front door and went to sit opposite her. "Sorry about that."

"It's not a problem," said Tonks, who nearly tripped over the chair on her way to sit in it. She noticed that there were several mugs on the table beside her, all empty. "My flat's a mess, too, all the time."

"My wife was the one who always did the cleaning, of course," said Richard, grinning when he heard that Tonks didn't seemed to be concerned over the mess. "She always insisted on doing it herself. Guess I just got used to it after a while. Now that I've got to do it myself, the place has been rather untidy. Still as lazy as ever, I am." He picked up a mug from the table and took a drink. "Thank goodness for Remus. He didn't inherit my laziness – tidies up the place. That boy's always been tidier than me, unless it's full -" He stopped quickly. He suddenly looked a little paler, and took another drink without speaking.

Tonks did not respond. She guessed that Mr. Lupin had not meant to refer to his son's lycanthropy in this sort of situation. Her face turned slightly pink as she tried to think of something to say. "The mess isn't too bad," she said in an attempt to bring the subject back around to the mess. "My mum wouldn't've liked it, but my dad, he's a slob if there ever was one."

Mr. Lupin's face seemed to lighten a bit when she started talking again. "Is he now? He and I'd get on well, I suppose," he said. "Oh, there you are, son," he said, turning his eyes to face the doorway behind Tonks. "Got someone here to talk to you."

Tonks quickly turned around in her chair, knocking over the mug sitting next to her as she went. In the doorway, there was a man, who was obviously Mr. Lupin's son, Remus. He had the same lined face, almost just as tired as his father's. She guessed that he got his light brown hair from his mother, perhaps, though she could see the gray flecked throughout it. Tonks found herself staring at his eyes, which were a soft, pale blue. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she thought that she saw a bit of fire hiding somewhere in those eyes, hidden by the sadness on his face.

She quickly leaped out of her chair, none too gracefully, and went to shake the newcomer's hand. "Nymphadora Tonks, Auror," she said. "I've been sent to interrogate you about the issue of Sirius Black's escape from Hogwarts."

"Remus Lupin, former Professor at Hogwarts," said Remus. "I'm a registered werewolf, as well, though I suspect you knew that already."

"Yes, I did," said Tonks, turning slightly pink again. "You received the owl from the Ministry that someone would be sent over, didn't you?"

"I did," he said calmly, shaking her hand. "I'm glad the Ministry is being so courteous with their investigations."

"Yes," muttered Tonks. She didn't know whether to take that as a compliment to the Ministry or not. "And speaking of which, where would you like to have this little investigation? It shouldn't take too long..."

"Long or short, it doesn't matter," said Remus. "We could talk all day – I've got no other plans."

Tonks wanted to laugh, but decided not to, since that would probably seem rather offensive. So, she ended up making the sound of a muffled laugh. "So, where do you want to meet?"

"How about my place?" he asked. When the look on Tonks's face changed to curiosity, he added, "Downstairs. My place is just downstairs. Will that do, or were you expecting something different?"

"That'll be just fine," she said. _If I don't fall down the stairs and completely make a fool out of myself, again_, she thought. She suddenly realized how strange it must look to see an Auror, who was supposed to investigate you, dressed in torn robes and bleeding slightly in several places. She put her hands up to her hair instinctively, as if to check that it was still the color she had picked out – blonde and curly.

Remus smiled faintly at her. "Thanks for showing this fine-looking young Auror in, Dad. I'll take it from here," he said, looking over at his father. Tonks was surprised for a moment. She had forgotten that the older Mr. Lupin was still sitting behind her. She turned brighter pink than before, feeling rather self-conscious.

"Yes, thanks for your hospitality, Mr. Lupin," she said smiling. "And sorry about that mug," she added, glancing down at the broken mug on the floor. "_Reparo_." The mug fixed itself quickly. She bent down, picked it up, and set it back on the table. She nodded to Mr. Lupin and turned back to Remus. "Lead the way, then."

Remus nodded, too, and walked back through the door from which he came. Tonks followed him, focusing very hard on maintaining her footing. She had no wish to fall on her way down the stairs, or even on her way to the stairs. She followed him through another room to a door, which he opened to reveal a dark, steep staircase. For a moment, Tonks thought she would have a heart attack. _A set of stairs that I can't see – brilliant_, she thought as she clung to the wall with her hands, praying that she wouldn't fall.

At last, lights came from below, and she finally stepped out onto the floor of a large, somewhat dark room. A single light illuminated the center of the room. On one side, she could see a big bed and a nightstand. A wardrobe and trunk stood on the wall nearby. On the far side of the room, there was a dark door. It looked out of place in the room, since it was made of stone, not wood. The light in the middle of the room did not seem to be able to reach it. A set of old chairs and a single desk sat in the middle of the room. The desk had a small pile of papers on top. Tonks had no time to wonder what the papers were, though, since Remus went directly over and tucked them inside the desk.

"Sit down," he said, indicating one of the chairs by the desks. She went and sat down in the chair he was pointing to. Then, as soon as she was seated, he joined her. _How chivalrous_, she thought. _Must've been a Gryffindor_.

"These seats are comfy," she said. "Nice and soft."

"I'm glad that you like them," said Remus, smiling. "Now, before we begin, would you remind me of your name, please?"

Tonks grimaced. "Nymphadora Tonks," she said quickly. "But you'd better call me Tonks, or I may be forced to hex you. It's not officially part of the job description, but I might be forced to allow myself some liberty."

Remus laughed out loud, causing Tonks to wonder whether she should have used her humor just yet. This was, after all, supposed to be professional. _Bugger, Tonks, you've done it again_, she thought. _Just stick with the classic 'don't call me Nymphadora' line. It works much better_. She felt her cheeks turning bright red, and she just hoped that her hair wouldn't change to match.

Then Remus stopped, and his expression changed completely. Instead of an amused expression, he looked curious. "What's wrong?" asked Tonks. Remus now looked as though he was trying to remember something. Tonks half expected his appearance to change, but then she remembered that she was not meeting a fellow Metamorphmagus.

"Your name... it sounds familiar," he said. "I wasn't sure when I first heard it, but I'm sure I've heard it before."

"Well, 'Nymphadora' is the sort of name that a person can't forget easily."

"I agree, but it's more than that," said Remus. "For some reason, I feel as though I've met you before."

Tonks shifted in her seat as she looked at Remus curiously. She was rather certain that she had never met him before in her life. I would remember meeting someone as nice as him, she thought. _Oh, what am I thinking? Plenty of people are just as nice as him_. "I don't remember ever meeting a 'Remus Lupin' before."

"Well, unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to answer any of your questions until I've figured out where I've heard your name before," said Remus. "Do you mind answering some questions for me?"

Tonks smiled brightly, but gave him a bit of a smirk. "Hey, I'm the one who's supposed to be doing the interrogating."

"But will you answer my questions?"

"Only if it'll get you to stop looking at me like some sort of exotic creature," she said. She was not fond of the curious looks he was giving her.

"Very well, it's a deal, Nymphadora," said Remus.

"And don't call me Nymphadora."

"That isn't part of the deal," he answered, smiling.

Tonks stuck out her tongue at him, forgetting that she was supposed to be acting professional. This man was proving to be more of a challenge than she thought. "Ask away, then."

"All right," said Remus as he tried to look at her without looking inquisitive. "Let's see... how old are you?"

"That's not a good question to ask a grown woman, Mr. Lupin," said Tonks, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Most men usually seem to understand that."

"Ah, but this is not just a casual question, _Miss Tonks_," said Remus, emphasizing the formal use of her name, like she had just done with his. "This is an interrogation, and in order to fulfill our deal, you have to answer." He smiled at her, but she could see that he was partially scolding her.

Tonks smirked. "Fine, _Remus_," she said. "I'm twenty-one."

"Twenty-one..." Remus repeated. "All right, fine. Good." He was speaking very softly and thoughtfully. Tonks guessed from the expression on his face that he was thinking very hard. "I know this is exceptionally trivial, but were your parents of wizard or Muggle heritage?"

"Dad's Muggle-born, Mum had a wizard family," said Tonks flatly. She didn't know why this had any relevance to figuring out where he had heard her name before. The issue of blood status touched a nerve, whether he knew it or not.

"Which wizard family, might I ask?"

"Black," she spat, feeling suddenly angry. "But Mum's not a part of that family anymore."

"Any relation to Sirius Black?"

"Mum's cousin," said Tonks. For the first time during the interrogation, she glared at Remus. "But why do you care?" Did he honestly think that she liked being related to an escaped convict? It wasn't her fault that her mother happened to have relatives who liked to murder people.

Remus did not answer right away. He did not seem to notice that she was glaring at him. In fact, he did not seem to notice that she had asked a question. He was looking at her as though he had just struck gold in the middle of a block of ice.

"I thought so," he said calmly. "Your mother's name is Andromeda, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," said Tonks.

"And your father's name is Ted Tonks?"

"Also a yes."

"Then I _have_ met you before," said Remus, "and I remember where, and when." Tonks expected him to continue, but he said nothing. Instead, he just sat there, staring at her, as though he expected her to use Legilimency on him, or just to know what he was thinking.

"Care to enlighten me?" Tonks finally said with a smile, as she finally stopped glaring at him and started looking at him curiously. She wondered why he hadn't asked for her parents names in the first place – it might have been easier. But then, he seemed to enjoy questioning her.

"Perhaps, but I think I'd prefer to help you figure it out for yourself first."

"Git," said Tonks automatically. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say in this situation, but Remus didn't seem to be bothered by it at all.

"I'll take that as a compliment, for now," he said. "Now, let's see if I can help you remember. First question: do you remember the day you met Sirius Black?"

Tonks knew that she had to look surprised, since that was exactly how she felt. "The day I _met Sirius Black_?" she repeated. The words felt strange on her tongue even as she said them. The very idea that she had ever met Sirius Black – the murderous fool of a cousin that had been part of a family she had never belonged to - was horrifying. "I – I don't remember ever _meeting_ him. I mean – wasn't he in Azkaban for twelve years? I'm only twenty-one, remember."

"I am well aware of your age, thank you, Nymphadora," said Remus. "And yes, you've met Sirius Black. Back before he was arrested, I mean."

"Don't call me Nymphadora," said Tonks. "Like I said, I don't remember meeting him. I must've been..." She stopped for a moment and started to do the math in her head. How old would she have been thirteen years ago? "I must've only been eight when he was sent to Azkaban. That's pretty young, you know."

"Very well, you can't recall meeting him," said Remus. "You were, after all, only..." He paused, too, and then continued, "...five years old when he visited your home."

"He visited my home?" Tonks asked, feeling horrified and slightly disgusted by the idea. "Mum always said he had been the 'normal' cousin until he was arrested, but – but I had no idea he ever came to our house."

"He did, though, and he brought some friends with him – three other friends, in fact," said Remus. "Does that help you remember at all?"

Tonks didn't say anything. Her brain was trying to process the new information. How did he expect her to remember something that happened when she was only five? For several minutes, she sat thinking, now caught up in the puzzle that Remus was trying to get her to solve. She sorted through all the memories that she could think of, trying to remember anything from when she was five, and wishing that she had a pensieve to help her sort through things.

"Any luck, Nymphadora?" he asked at last after several long minutes of silence. Tonks nearly jumped out of her chair when he spoke. She hadn't noticed that he was sitting there, staring at her and waiting for the idea to dawn on her.

"None," she said. "Not yet, anyway, and don't call me -" Suddenly, Tonks froze. As she was about to repeat her normal 'don't call me Nymphadora' mantra, her mind landed on one of her stranger, and slightly more embarrassing, memories. Her face turned pink as she realized that she did remember something, but the explanation was what would ruin her.

Remus must've seen the expression change on her face, because he said, "Found something, Nymphadora?" Tonks did not respond. He must have guessed that she did, in fact, know something, because he continued, "Care to enlighten me?"

Tonks would have laughed at his use of her words, but she was too busy thinking of how to answer. "Surprisingly enough, it has to do with your insistence on calling me by my wretched Christian name," she said quietly, managing to shudder slightly at the sound of her name. _Merlin, Tonks_, she thought to herself. _You haven't even told him yet and you're already bright red. That'll make everything go a whole lot smoother. Why didn't they teach you how to do this sort of thing during Auror training? It might've helped a bit._

"Well, I – you see – oh, bloody hell, I can't even spit it out," she muttered to herself. She looked up at Remus, whose expression had not changed. "Well, I used to have this – this list – well, actually I still have it, you know, of people who – who insist on calling me 'Nymphadora,' actually, and – and there's always been this – this mystery person on the list. All I can remember is that he was a friend of Sirius's who visited my house once, and – and I think it's – I think it's _you_."

As soon as she spit it out, Tonks wanted to disapparate and never come back. It sounded so _stupid_ when she said it like that. She sounded like a silly little kid with silly little childish ideas floating around in her head. What kind of Auror remembered a mystery person on a list of people who called her by her Christian name?

But Remus just looked bemused as he watched her. "A list of people who call you 'Nymphadora,' eh?" he repeated. "That sounds interesting. Care to elaborate?"

Tonks felt completely embarrassed, and she knew she looked it, since her cheeks were burning. "It – it's just a silly thing I used to do when I was a kid – still do it sometimes, actually – I just put people into lists, you know, to remember them better, and – and they used to be silly things like 'people who like to tickle me,' or – or things like that – I mean, I was only five, and – and I've always remembered this list, for some reason, and – and now I'm just blubbering, like an idiot." She stopped before she could make an even bigger fool out of herself.

"You are most certainly _not_ an idiot, Tonks," said Remus. "But, let me see if I understand this correctly. You used to sort people into lists, such as people who call you 'Nymphadora,' and you happen to remember me through that?"

"Don't laugh at the lists thing, please," said Tonks, trying to regain her composure. "I haven't ever told anyone else that – not even Mum or Dad. I just – it's always been easier to remember someone if I can put their name on a list of some sort. It's just something I do automatically."

"And you've had a nameless boy on this 'Nymphadora list' of yours since you were five?"

"It's not a 'Nymphadora list,'" said Tonks defiantly. "It's a list of people who _insist_ on calling me 'Nymphadora.' It's very exclusive, you know. Most people call me 'Tonks,' like I ask them to do. Only a few names have been on there for any significant amount of time."

"Such as?"

Tonks found herself starting to smile again as the pink slowly drained from her cheeks. "Well, for one – other than the 'nameless boy,' as you so quaintly put it – there's my mother. She's at the top of the list – she gave me the name, after all. And there's Snape – excuse me, _Professor_ Snape, and -"

"Snape is on the list?" Remus interrupted suddenly. The expression on his face was a mixture of alarm and surprise.

"Yeah, Snape's on there," said Tonks. "I was the only student that he called by their first name – never could understand that."

"I'm not surprised," said Remus, a strange smile coming over his face. "Is there anyone else on that list?"

Tonks thought for a moment, then said, "No, most people never make it on the list, or they're converted eventually and get themselves taken off." She paused for a moment, and then gave a small smirk-like smile. "That is, other than the 'nameless boy,' whose namelessness shall have to be altered, now that I've discovered his name's Remus Lupin."

"Yes, I've never been fond of namelessness," said Remus. They both looked at each other for a moment, then they both burst out laughing. For a minute or two, neither of them could say anything. Tonks nearly fell off her chair with laughter, while Remus was a little more composed – he managed to stay fully upright.

When the laughing finally started to die down, Remus spoke again. "So, now can you remember the time we met?"

Tonks shook her head. "That's all I can remember, honestly," she managed to say between short breaths. "Merlin, Remus, I was only five, do you expect me to remember?"

"Well, if it'll make you feel better, I can remember some of it," said Remus.

"Go on, then," said Tonks, who was only now regaining her composure fully.

"Well, as I remember, I was feeling rather ill that particular day, but since Sirius had already planned the visit, I felt obliged to come along," said Remus. His eyes were unfocused as he tried to remember the details.

"What was wrong? Why were you ill?"

"It was the morning after full moon, but I wouldn't let my friends stop me from going."

Tonks's eyes widened. "The morning after full moon?" she repeated. Then she realized this must be touching a nerve, since Remus was suddenly looking very put out. "What else do you remember?" she asked quickly, trying to get the subject away from lycanthropy again.

"When we got to your house, your father introduced us to your mother, and to you. But, I think you might've been in a rather bad mood that day," he answered, looking unfocused yet again.

"Was I?" Tonks asked, looking surprised. "You must've visited on a really bad day – my dad says I was hardly ever grumpy as a child."

"I can't say that I'm surprised," said Remus, smiling. "You were probably an exceptionally cheerful child. In fact, if I remember right, all it took was a little game to cheer you right up."

"What game?" asked Tonks.

"You were quite keen on playing that little game where I had to guess what hair color you had, as I remember. At one point, I think you mentioned that I was better at guessing than your dad was."

"Merlin's beard..." muttered Tonks in shock. "Of course – of course -" She began to laugh, remembering one of her favorite childhood games. She couldn't believe he remembered that, of all things. "I haven't played that game in _years_," she said, this time to Remus. "I _loved_ that game. Mum never liked it, of course, but she liked my hair natural - wait, so then you must know I'm a -"

"You're a Metamorphmagus, yes, I remember now," Remus interrupted. "I'm guessing that blonde isn't your natural color?"

Tonks turned slightly pink again and put her hand up to her hair again without realizing it. "No, it's not," she admitted. "But I thought this would do for an interrogation – do you like it?" _Merlin, Tonks, why did you ask that? Who cares if he likes it? It's not like you fancy him or anything._

"Yes, it's very nice," said Remus. "Though, I seem to recall that you preferred more... bright colors the last time I saw you. Of course, you were only five, so I expect -"

"No, I still prefer bright colors," said Tonks. "That part of me hasn't changed much since I was five. The difference now is that I don't have my mother constantly telling me to keep my hair a certain way – I can do what I want now."

Remus laughed, and Tonks blushed slightly. "I suppose that's an advantage when doing Auror business, isn't it?"

"Whether you're referring to the morphing or to not having my mother around constantly, you're right," said Tonks, laughing. "I don't think having my Mum around on missions would be much of a help."

"I was referring to your morphing ability," said Remus, "but having your mother around can't be all that bad."

"You have no idea," said Tonks, leaning back in her chair. "She can be a bit controlling sometimes, though I don't think she realizes it."

"All mothers can be like that sometimes."

"Not the same way my Mum is. I don't know how she ever survived having both me and my dad in the house all at the same time."

"Yes, that does seem extraordinary," said Remus, a faint smirk on his lips. "Still, she must have done something right – look at how you turned out."

Tonks laughed again. "I don't think my Mum would agree with you there – the part about me turning out right, anyway."

"Well, then I'll have to disagree with your mother – I think you turned out just fine."

"You've only just met me!" said Tonks. She couldn't help but smile, though, as she watched the grin on his face grow larger and larger. Besides, she had never met a person, other than her father, and possibly Mad-Eye, who believe that she had turned out all right. Most people who met her seemed to think she was daft, or just crazy. Maybe it was just because he hadn't seen her with pink hair yet, but he was a rare person, to think highly of her before hardly knowing her.

"Well, I'm glad to have met you," said Remus. "Of course, if you're hiding some deep dark secret which might cause me to think otherwise of you, I would reveal it now, so that I don't leave here with a false view of Auror Tonks."

"Ha-ha-ha, very funny," said Tonks, smirking. "You think you're smart, don't you, Remus?"

"Well, I have been told that I display a reasonable level of intelligence," said Remus.

"Very good, Remus, well done," said Tonks, who was now laughing and shifting in her chair.

"Have I helped you to remember any more?" asked Remus.

"Yeah – yeah, now I can remember, a bit," said Tonks. "Barely, though, so don't get your hopes up," she quickly added. "You've got to remember, I was only five."

"Yes, but you were quite an adorable five-year-old," said Remus. "You didn't care much for your name then, either."

Tonks laughed and shook her head. "No, I didn't," she said. "Never did like that name. It's got to be the worst name ever created."

"That's a shame," said Remus. "I think it's quite a lovely name, and it suits you."

"Like hell it does," said Tonks, shuddering.

"I'll have to take your word for that, Nymphadora," said Remus. He leaned back in his chair for the first time, cleared his throat, and said, in a more formal voice, "But, now that I've solved my little mystery, and delved deep into the heart of fair Nymphadora, I do believe it's time for you to do the interrogating. After all, that's why you came here, isn't it?"

Tonks sighed. She had gotten so caught up in the conversation that she had completely forgotten that she was still here on business. Only fifteen minutes ago, she had been anxious to get this over with and get out of here. Now, she wished she could just stay and talk for a while, and then leave at her leisure. Auror business did not seem the least bit appealing anymore.

"Yes, Remus, it is," said Tonks, her voice dropping, and then rising again for her to say, "And don't call me Nymphadora."

* * *

_**Author's Notes: **This was the first Remus/Tonks fic I ever wrote. I have written other things before - not posted on - but this was my first time ever writing this particular ship._

_My favorite part about writing this fic was writing all the dialogue between the two characters. It turned out much better than I had expected._

_If you want to read more of my stuff, as I mentioned above, visit my Livejournal. My username is 'goldenwanderer,' obviously. You'll find much more there, since I'm quicker at updating that stuff. But read and review here, if you like!_


	2. Part Two

**Title:** The 'Nymphadora List' (2/2)  
**Author:** goldenwanderer  
**Rating:** PG  
**Warnings:** N/A  
**Word Count:** 3500+  
**Pairing(s):** Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks  
**Characters:** Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt  
**Summary:** Tonks's first official mission is to interrogate a certain werewolf, Remus Lupin, about his connection to Sirius Black. Remus is interested in knowing where he met this girl before, and Tonks has an interesting explanation for how she remembers him. Will they ever get around to the real interview? Will Tonks make it back to the office on time? And how does she feel about 'social outings' with werewolves like Remus Lupin?

**A/N:** This is part two of the story - obviously.

_This is the first in the "Starlight, Star Bright" series. The story is set in the summer following Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

* * *

**The 'Nymphadora List' - Part Two**

Tonks was sitting in an old, dark chair in the basement of Remus Lupin's parents' home, with a stack of parchment on her lap and a quill in her hand. Seated directly across from her – in an equally old, dark chair – was Remus Lupin himself. For the better part of the past half hour, Tonks had kept herself busy asking him questions about his relationship with Sirius Black, and about his role in the past year's events.

It had been an interesting half an hour, to say the very least. Tonks had expected the interrogation to be rather boring. She liked talking and asking questions in general conversation, but the idea of asking questions in order to gather important information had never been the slightest bit appealing. But, the awkwardness of the situation had dissolved after Remus had begun his own inquiry as to where they had met before. After that, Remus had been able to make the interrogation somewhat enjoyable, which Tonks believed was quite a remarkable feat.

But the strangest part of the interrogation had not been the actual asking part. As Remus continued with his tale and got closer and closer to the part about the night Black escaped, his voice began to sound more and more uneasy. The story was simple and easy enough to believe, but there was something in Remus's voice that gave Tonks the idea that there was something she was missing – some piece in the story that Remus did not feel up to sharing.

"Is there anything else, Remus, or is that all?"

"I believe, Tonks, that that is all," said Remus in the calm, quiet voice that he had used throughout the afternoon. "That is, unless the Ministry requires anything else from me, in which case I'd be happy to oblige."

"No," said Tonks, who now occupied herself with stuffing her parchment and quill back into her torn robes, "I think that's about it." She held up her fingers and began counting off their topics of discussion. "We discussed your past relationship with Black, how you were hired by Dumbledore to teach at Hogwarts, your work with Harry Potter, and..." She stopped. This was the part of the story during which Remus's voice had changed.

"And what happened the night Sirius escaped," Remus finished for her. "Yes, indeed, we covered all those things. And we covered what I've been doing this summer, which I said did _not_ include contacting Sirius, correct?"

"Yeah," said Tonks. "And I believe you. _I_ wouldn't want to contact him, and I don't see why you would want to either, even if you were friends once." As soon as she said this, she knew it wasn't the right thing to have said. Remus's expression changed to one of regret and sadness, in contrast to the subdued and blank expression he had been wearing previously.

"Yes," said Remus quietly. For a moment, Tonks said nothing. She felt guilty for making him look like that. She knew that it had been more than just a friendship between Remus and Black, and it hurt Remus to think that his friend could ever do the things that he had done. _Nicely done, Tonks_, she thought. _The least you could do is apologize_.

She was about to do just that, when Remus interrupted her thoughts. "Well, I think we've covered everything, then," he said, his voice brighter and louder than before. "I only hope my information will be sufficient enough."

"Well," said Tonks, who felt relieved that he had recovered so quickly, "I can't speak for anyone else, really. I'm sure Scrimgeour'll say that I didn't get enough, but no one can please him. Kingsley – he's in charge of the search for Black – he'll think I've gotten enough. He's been good to me throughout training – I'm sure I'll have no problems with him about that."

"I'm glad," said Remus. "I think you did a fine job, Nymphadora."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Tonks asked, somewhat ignoring the compliment. "I told you – call me Tonks."

At first, Remus didn't answer. Tonks looked at him for a moment, wondering if he was trying to come up with some witty response to that. "Well?" she finally demanded, putting her hands on her hips and trying to look menacing. "Why can't you just call me Tonks like everyone else?"

"I think," began Remus slowly, "that I continue to call you 'Nymphadora,' in part because I think it is a wonderful name, and in part because I want you to remember me."

"Remember you?" Tonks repeated, slightly surprised. "I mean, first off, 'Nymphadora' is _not_ a wonderful name – it's a very refined form of torture. And, second, what do you mean, 'remember me'? Why would I forget you? Or, better yet, why would calling me by my wretched name make me remember you?"

Remus chuckled in slight amusement. Tonks looked at him, confused and expecting an answer. "Well, Nymphadora, from what you said earlier, I've been engraved in your mind for sixteen years now without you even realizing it. If I want to stay engraved in your mind, I've got to keep myself on the 'Nymphadora List,' haven't I?"

"It isn't the 'Nymphadora List,' Remus," said Tonks. "And you don't have to be on any lists for me to remember you – especially not one where you have to call me by my name. It's not supposed to be a complimentary list, you know."

"Perhaps, but you did say that the list was exclusive, and I want to maintain my place on it, if you don't mind," said Remus, holding up his index finger and looking very much as though he were still a professor.

"You are impossible, Remus," said Tonks. Then, with a smirk, she added, "Would you stop calling me 'Nymphadora' if I promised to keep you on the list?"

"Then it would be a lie, wouldn't it?" said Remus.

"Well – er – fine, have it your way," said Tonks. "Stay on the stupid list if you like. Just call me Tonks, please."

"We'll see, _Tonks_."

"Funny," said Tonks. She glared at Remus for a brief moment, then glanced down at the watch on her left arm. "Merlin's beard, I should really be going," she said quickly. "I've got to get this information back to work, and I've probably got some papers to go through, and – and I've just go to go." She stuck out her arm to shake Remus's hand. "It's been fun talking to you, Remus," she told him. "It'd be nice to do it again sometime."

Remus stood up from his chair and moved to shake her hand. "It has been fun," he replied. "And I may have to take you up on that offer."

"What offer?"

"The offer to do this again sometime. Unless, of course, you weren't being entirely serious when you said that."

"Oh," said Tonks, surprised. "Er – yeah, I was being serious, I guess. It _would_ be nice to see you again, sometime. I don't know when – I'm really busy lately, and -"

"How about next Sunday?" Remus interrupted. "Or are you busy then, too?"

Tonks thought for a moment. No, she wasn't busy next Sunday, actually. She could be if she wanted to be, but Scrimgeour wouldn't assign her a mission on a Sunday – not unless she asked for one. Still, she had to admit, this was a rather awkward moment. _Is he asking you for a date, Tonks? No, he couldn't be – but it sure sounds like one_, she thought.

"No, I'm not, at the moment," said Tonks. Then, with a curious look in her eyes, she added, "Are you asking me for a date?"

"Well, no, we don't have to call it a 'date,' if you like," said Remus.

"Then, what would it be?"

"Well, it could be just a 'meeting.'"

"That sounds too... business-like."

"All right, then, it could just be 'two friends happening to meet at the same place at the same time.'"

"Too long," said Tonks. "Try something a bit shorter – easier to remember."

"How about a 'social outing'? Would that do?"

"That sounds perfect," said Tonks. "Not too long, not too short, easy to remember – I like it."

There was a brief silence after Tonks finished speaking. She wasn't entirely sure what to say. Was it the right time to say good-bye? One look at Remus's face, and she knew that it wasn't.

He was smiling at her.

Tonks's cheeks turned slightly pink, but she didn't dare look away. She felt a smile creeping over her own face. She wondered whether her hair was turning pink, too, and she quickly lifted her hand to check. It was still blonde, but she thought she could see the faintest of pink highlights. She lowered her hand and looked at Remus again, who was still smiling.

"So, will you be available for a 'social outing' next Sunday?" asked Remus, breaking Tonks from her daze.

"Er – yeah, I suppose so," said Tonks. "That sounds good. Where d'you want to go?"

"A good question," said Remus. His smile partially vanished as he tried to think. "Ah, I know a perfect location." He glanced quickly at Tonks before he said, "But I won't tell you where it is – yet."

"Why not?"

"I want it to be a surprise, of course," said Remus, smiling again.

"All right, then," said Tonks. "If I can't know where we're going to go, can you at least tell me where to meet you?"

"Yes, I can tell you that," said Remus. "If you'd like, come to the house here at 7 o'clock, and I'll wait outside for you. That will spare you having to explain to my father why you're here again," he added, noting that Tonks seemed curious about why he needed to wait outside. "I can take you to the location from here."

"Are we going to have to tromp through the woods?" Tonks asked, worriedly. "If we are, I'd like to know, so I can wear something a bit more... durable." She glanced down at her torn robes, which she had so far managed not to mention.

Remus laughed and Tonks's cheeks turned pink again. "Yes, we will be going through the woods," said Remus. "May I ask whether your concern has anything to do with the state of your robes?" Tonks knew that he had noticed the rips and scratches upon her arrival, but for the first time, he looked up and down her body and seemed to be examining her appearance more closely, as though by doing so, he could decipher what had happened to her.

"Yes," Tonks admitted, "it does. You're looking at the clumsiest Auror on the force, who had a rather difficult time getting to the location of her first mission."

"That would explain it," said Remus. "And yet, you don't seem bothered by it at all."

"Me, bothered by falling and stumbling all over the place? Never," said Tonks, smiling and waving her hand in a gesture of brushing it off. "It only bothered me that I would be showing up here, looking like this. People who know me wouldn't be at all surprised, but it's nice to make a good impression the first time you meet someone."

"Well, considering we've just made plans to meet for a 'social outing,' I'd say you made a wonderful first impression," said Remus.

"Thanks," said Tonks. "And you're not reconsidering showing me this 'perfect location,' since now you know the truth about Auror Tonks?"

"No, I'm not," said Remus. "I don't see how a bit of clumsiness could be a problem."

"A bit?" said Tonks, raising her eyebrows at him. "Not just 'a bit' of clumsiness – I've been cursed with the worst case of clumsiness the wizarding world has ever seen. Some might say I'm a danger to myself and others."

"I think you'll be just fine," said Remus. "You are an Auror, after all, so you must have been able to work past all that."

"Yeah, with a load of help," said Tonks. "Anyway, if you're sure -"

"I'm absolutely sure that you'll be able to manage a walk through the woods," Remus interrupted. "And I'll be there to make sure you don't hurt yourself too badly," he added with an extra smile.

"All right, then, that'll be fine," said Tonks. "Anyway, I'd better be off, or I'll miss Scrimgeour – he won't like that much. Don't want to give a bad impression on my boss, either, you know."

"No, I wouldn't want to upset the head of the Auror department," said Remus. "I've got enough of a reputation with the Ministry without any effort."

"I don't think you're in much danger," laughed Tonks. "They're not likely to blame you for consenting to answer my questions, or they're daft. Though, if Umbridge has anything to say about it, you're likely to be the reason I fell in the forest," she added.

But Remus did not laugh at this. "Isn't she the woman who's been trying to pass legislation against werewolves?" he asked, now looking very concerned.

"Yeah, she is," said Tonks. She stopped laughing and looked at Remus apologetically. "She isn't just against werewolves, though. She hates centaurs, goblins, house-elves... doesn't like me much either – seems to think my morphing powers make me somewhat less human."

"She sounds like a delightful woman," said Remus, who was obviously trying very hard not to sound concerned. "Do you see her often?"

"Often enough," said Tonks. "Too much, actually. She pops in the Auror department around once a month or so. She always makes sure to visit me whenever she comes – it's absolutely horrible."

"Well, I hope – for your sake – that she finds someone else to bother every month."

"And I hope – for your sake – that the Minister has enough sense _not_ to pass her blasted legislation," said Tonks. "Then again, he did make her his senior undersecretary, so there's little hope he has enough sense to see past her 'pretty' pink cardigans."

"Well, we'll trust to that little sliver of hope, won't we?" said Remus. "On that note, you'd better be off – for real, this time – or you most certainly _won't_ catch Scrimgeour in time."

"We keep finding delays, don't we?" said Tonks with a smile. "But you're right. Anyway, I'll see you on Sunday, then – in my safest and most durable robes."

"I'll count on it," said Remus. "Good-bye for now, fair Nymphadora."

"Bye, Remus," said Tonks. "And for Merlin's sake, _please_ stop calling me Nymphadora!"

* * *

"Afternoon, Tonks."

"Wotcher, Kingsley."

"I see you ran into a bit of trouble along the way."

Tonks looked down at her robes again, as though she had forgotten that they were still just as torn as they had been five minutes ago. She hadn't noticed all the funny looks people gave her as she walked through the Ministry Atrium – she normally got those same looks for her hair color choices. Now, she guessed that they were all wondering what she could have gotten up to that would put her robes in such a state. Fortunately, the Auror office was next to empty – it seemed most of the Aurors were just as anxious to go home as Tonks was.

"Oh, yeah, walking through the woods can be a dangerous place for someone like me, Kingsley," she said. Her cheeks turned slightly pink, though she tried to sound casual. Kingsley Shacklebolt was one of the few Aurors who ever bothered to say anything at all to Tonks aside from Auror business. And right now was one of those moments when Tonks had no idea why he did. He looked as though he hadn't moved all day – his robes were neat, clean, and didn't seem to contain even a single wrinkle. In contrast, he looked like an extremely competent Auror, while she looked like, well... someone who needed a lot more help out in the field.

"Did the interrogation go any better?" said Kingsley. His expression remained unchanged, but Tonks was sure that he really wanted to laugh at her.

"Yes, actually," said Tonks. "Talking to Remus about Black was much easier than tromping through the forest to get to his house. Honestly, you wouldn't think the apparition point'd be so far away."

Kingsley didn't seem to hear her complaint about apparition points, however. "You're on a first-name basis with Lupin?" he asked, looking curiously at her.

"Well, I didn't want to go calling him 'Lupin' throughout the visit," Tonks said in a slightly defiant voice. "I'm on a first-name basis with a lot of people. I don't see how it's a problem."

"It isn't a problem at all, Tonks," said Kingsley. "I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, you're the only person in the Ministry who doesn't always call me 'Shacklebolt.'"

"And if I had a normal name, I'd insist on you calling me by it," said Tonks. "Trouble is, I was given the worst name ever created."

Kingsley didn't try to argue with this. Tonks knew that he thought her name was actually a very nice name. But, she had reprimanded him countless times for trying to use it, and he eventually stopped trying altogether.

"Well, anyway, I suppose I'd better give these papers to you," said Tonks, pulling out the stack of crumpled papers from inside her robes. "Sorry, they're a bit messy. And the notes aren't great, either. It's so hard to listen and write down everything at the same time."

She handed Kingsley the stack of papers. He glanced down at them, and when he looked back up at her, she could tell he was trying to look encouraging. "If you need help deciphering anything, I'm at the office nearly every day. Just let me know, and I'll help you out. It's a good excuse to get away from paperwork, anyway," she added.

"Thanks, Tonks," said Kingsley. "I'll be sure to do that, if I need it." He turned around and started to walk back toward his cubicle.

"Have you seen Scrimgeour?" Tonks asked suddenly. "I want to tell him I've completed my first mission, and -"

"He just left – five minutes ago," Kingsley interrupted, turning around again. "I don't think he was expecting you to come back and report. He was tired, anyhow – all this business about the proposed new legislation and whatnot."

"Oh," said Tonks. She felt instantly disappointed. As much as she liked being left well enough alone by the head of the Auror office, she had been looking forward to telling him just how well everything had gone.

"The information you've gotten may be helpful, though," said Kingsley quickly, noticing that Tonks's change in expression. "Scrimgeour'll definitely be pleased."

"That's good," said Tonks. Then, her face lightened, and she added, "Besides, my work on the mission might sound better if I was wearing something less... torn-up, wouldn't you say?"

Kingsley laughed heartily. "It might, Tonks, it might," he said, smiling.

"Sorry I missed him, though," said Tonks. "Might've cheered him up a bit before he left."

"If you don't tell him you came in, he'll be all right," said Kingsley. "By the way, what kept you? I thought you were supposed to get there several hours ago? Or did the forest keep you from arriving there until late?"

"Well, the forest _did_ delay me a bit," said Tonks, "but only a little while. I got caught up talking to Remus before we actually started the real interrogation part."

"I hate to sound like Mad-Eye, but what did you talk about when you weren't discussing Black?"

Tonks looked at Kingsley reproachfully. "You do sound like Mad-Eye," she said. "But it wasn't anything important. Apparently, we'd met before – when I was a kid – and he remembered me. That's all."

"That's interesting," said Kingsley. "You'd met him before?"

"Yeah, when I was five," said Tonks. "He and some of his friends, including Sirius Black, came and visited once – Black's my Mum's cousin, you know. Anyway, he remembered my name, and he was curious. That was about it."

Kingsley believed her, but he didn't look convinced that that was all they talked about. But Tonks wasn't about to mention the lists, or the fact that they were meeting again on Sunday. Sure, it was only just a 'social outing,' but she did not think that Kingsley had any reason to know about it.

"Anyway, I'd better go, then," said Tonks. "You've got the notes, and Scrimgeour'll have the official report tomorrow." She stretched out her arms and yawned. "And I'm dead tired. Think I'll go home and sleep. After I patch up these wounds, that is."

"That sounds like a good idea, Tonks," said Kingsley. "I've got some more work to do, and then I think I'll do the same."

"'Night, then, Kingsley," said Tonks.

"Good-night, Tonks."

With that – and a quick wave – a faint popping noise echoed through the Aurors's department, and Tonks was gone. Moments later, in a small flat miles away, Tonks appeared out of thin air. With another large yawn, she headed straight for her bedroom to find some clean robes.

And a few minutes later, Nymphadora Tonks was lying on her sofa – not caring at all about torn robes or report, or even silly lists.

* * *

_**Author's Notes: **Here's the end of this story. There will obviously be sequels. Check out my user page for info, or see my Livejournal._

_That's all I have for you. Review!_


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